I am only one world away from Yukinoshita.

A dull ache seemed to be throbbing in her head. Kiyotaka remembered that summer, that place, that should have been the last wind instrument competition in junior high school, but they only won the gold medal that time.

It's Kyoto... no, it's Tokyo...

no……

The scenes in her memory kept flashing by, but the figure remained so clear. Qinglai angrily tugged at her hair, as if that would stop the flashbacks.

She seemed to have forgotten something very important.

"Kiyori?" Yuihama noticed that something was wrong with Kiyori and shook her worriedly. "Kiyori, if you're not feeling well, shall we go back?"

Kiyoshi opened his mouth as if to say something but hesitated, then said, "No, I want to finish the last project."

Yuihama didn't seem to agree much. "But this activity is a bit too exciting..." Surfing in a small boat that can only accommodate two people doesn't sound like it's suitable for Kiyoyori right now. "If Kiyoyori wants to try it, it's better to come back another time."

“I want to play,” Kiyoyori seemed to have returned to his usual self at this moment. “I also want to experience the feeling of leaving everything behind. I think that’s what I need most right now.”

“Besides,” Kiyoyori looked at Yuihama beside him, and at the two other groups that had been separated by the crowd, “Yuihama-senpai must have something to say to me, right?”

That's why he deliberately walked beside her instead of catching up with Hayama and his group, or waiting for Hikigaya and Yukinoshita.

Yuihama tilted her head slightly. From her perspective, Kiyoyori was backlit, so she couldn't see his expression clearly, but she knew that her own expression had been completely seen by him.

Fortunately, Yuihama did not intend to hide it.

"Okay, let's go have some fun!"

Yuihama gave a bright yet heartbreaking smile and took Kiyoyori's hand.

"Yuigahama-senpai, it seems there will be fireworks later."

"Yes, we'd better do it as soon as possible!"

The two pushed through the crowd and headed straight for the last ride. Since most people were watching the parade outside, there weren't many people in line at the moment, and Kiyoyori and Yui quickly boarded a small boat with complete safety measures.

As the staff gently fastened her seatbelt, Yuihama still nervously held Kiyoyori's hand.

Her hands were a little cold at the moment, which didn't quite match her usual cheerful image, but that was probably because of the low temperature outside. Kiyoyori didn't resist and just quietly let Yui hold her hand.

The small boat moved forward with the current, and for a moment, apart from their hands touching, the two did not exchange any words.

Kiyoshi looked at Yuihama, unsure of what she wanted to say or whether she should ask, so she waited quietly.

“I,” Yuihama said, still looking ahead, when she suddenly gripped Kiyoyori’s wrist tightly. As if realizing something, both of their heartbeats began to accelerate at the same time.

"I like small businesses."

Kiyoshi gripped the railing in front of him, pursed his lips, and remained silent.

"But it seems like the person Xiaoqi likes isn't me."

"Yuihama-senpai..."

Before Kiyori could finish speaking, Yuihama stopped him with tears welling in her eyes, "Kiyori has always known, hasn't he?"

The words of rebuttal were stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter them no matter what.

“Whether it’s me liking Xiaoqi or Xiaoqi liking someone else,” Yuihama sniffed hard, “it’s because Kiyori has always been watching her, right?”

Kiyoyori felt a little suffocated, perhaps because they were getting close to the waterfall.

I came here to get rid of my troubles, but for some reason, they came back to haunt me.

"I……"

Kiyoshi had the urge to escape, but this was a surf tunnel for only two people. They were both bound to this small boat, and no matter how much they wanted to escape, there was nowhere to run. All they would face was the terrifying waterfall.

The hand that cannot be pulled back is like myself, bound at this moment.

“Because I’ve been watching over Xiaoqi, I know everything about Xiaoqi, so—” Yui’s eyes were red, but Kiyoyori couldn’t say a word of comfort, just as Yui couldn’t comfort her either.

"Xiao Qinglai has been watching Xiao Xue, so..."

Please stop talking.

"Kiyoshi also knows this, right?"

Stop talking!

"Xiaoxue and Xiaoqi are watching each other..."

Kiyoshi took a deep breath, making his lungs ache.

It looks like something has broken through the soil.

"Kiyoshi really does like Yuki, doesn't he?"

“Yuihama-senpai,” Kiyoyori’s voice was even hoarser than before, “please stop talking.”

Kiyoshi had already guessed what the other party wanted to say.

A cold wind rushed into the tunnel, and as the small boat got closer to the tunnel's exit, the wind grew stronger, making my heart feel as if a gaping hole had been opened, and the wind made it ache.

As they approached the waterfall, the surging water splashed onto them, and their hair was disheveled by the strong wind, leaving them looking utterly disheveled.

"Since we all like them..."

"Senior...no..."

Like this waterfall, once those words are spoken, they can never be taken back.

The four of them can never go back to how things were before.

The two began to freefall, and Kiyoyori's heart felt like it was suspended in mid-air.

Fireworks are blooming in the sky now, dazzling but fleeting.

"...Save me, Kiyoyori,"

Was it water splashing on my face from the waterfall?

Kiyoshi felt the moisture on her cheeks, and when she saw Yuihama's ugly smile, her nose stung with tears.

But why is it warm...?

"I beg you……"

....................................................................................

Standing outside the crowd, the two of them looked up at the fireworks simultaneously.

Hachiman stared blankly at his profile beneath the soft snow under the fireworks, wanting to say something, but only silently clenching his fist.

I envy you.

The words Xue Zhifang had just spoken still seemed to echo in my ears.

The words I wanted to blurt out were left unsaid, and no matter how I thought about it, the other person's response was always the same.

because……

“Hikigaya-kun,” Yukinoshita’s voice was soft but clear, and it was not drowned out by the sound of fireworks.

“I know this is unfair to you,” Yukinoshita said, clasping her hands together and pressing them tightly against her heart.

"But if that day ever comes, please come and save me."

Can't refuse.

Hachiman squeezed out a single word from his dry throat:

"it is good."

Chapter 43 The Request Under the Snow

After returning from the amusement park, their lives returned to normal.

Yukinoshita was busy with student council work, Kiyoyori was focused on training the brass band, while Yuihama and Hikigaya continued to operate as members of the service club.

Undeniably, Kiyoyori was affected by what Yuihama said that day. She tried her best not to think about it, but the more she tried to avoid it, the more she cared about it.

Then one day, Yukinoshita suddenly sent a message that brought the group together again.

……………………………………………………………

"Is there anything Xiaoxue needs from us this time?"

Yui looked at Yukinoshita expectantly. Although she didn't want Yukinoshita and Hachiman to get too close because of Hachiman, as Yukinoshita's friend, she wanted to help her.

“Indeed, there are some things…” Yukino sighed softly, “about the Christmas event.”

"You've probably heard that this event was organized by the Toyosaki student council at their invitation."

Just as Yukinoshita mentioned this, Kiyoyori, who had already heard about the Toyonosaki student council, guessed what might happen.

"Indeed, this matter was a hot topic on the forums of both schools at the time."

The reason why the Yuihama Association is paying attention is because someone mentioned at the time that the success or failure of this event could potentially affect Yukinoshita's reputation as the new student council president.

Given that her reputation had already become very bad due to manipulation by certain individuals.

"But I remember the Toyosaki student council held a similar event last year, right? Wasn't the response quite good then?"

Even though Hikigaya didn't care about such things, he still investigated the relevant information for some reason.

"...Well, let's just say that's how it is for now."

Yukino didn't say much.

But someone as perceptive as Hikigaya could discern from just this one sentence that the truth was probably not so simple.

"Since they've extended an invitation to collaborate, does that mean this event will be co-organized by both schools?"

Yukino sighed, "Thank you for always being able to grasp the key points so accurately, Hachiman."

So what are their requirements?

Kiyoshiro knew that Toyonosaki intended to perform in a stage play, but Kasumigaoka did not tell her about the subsequent developments. Whenever Kiyoshiro asked about it, she would just brush it off. At this moment, Yukinoshita was obviously very troubled. So it is reasonable to guess that the request made by Toyonosaki's side was something that neither Yukinoshita nor Kasumigaoka was willing to accept.

While Kiyoyori wasn't trying to be narcissistic, the only thing that could bring these two people together at the same time was—

“What they want to put on is a musical, although it’s not quite the right word, but they want their theatrical performance to be accompanied by a live orchestra,” Yukinoshita said, looking at Kiyoyori who had been silent. “So they proposed to collaborate with the brass band of Sobu High School.”

"Huh? But isn't the event only a month away?"

Is it too late?